Wed Sep 12, 2007 9:39AM EDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States wants to ensure Iraq’s territorial integrity, including from “very troublesome neighbors” like Iran, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Wednesday.

Rice agreed that there was still work to be done but she said the American troop presence was critical to secure not only Iraq but neighboring countries.

“The way ahead here is to solidify the gains that we have made … and to start to have American forces, in lower numbers, turn to other responsibilities which frankly, like
a stable Iraq, are very key to our interests, including securing the territorial integrity of Iraq,”

“Iraq has very troublesome neighbors. Iran is a very troublesome neighbor,”

Rice said the United States needed Iraq and other allies in the region “to resist both terrorism and Iranian aggression.”

“The war in Iraq, when we are successful there, will assemble a more stable Iraq and that will build a more stable Middle East,” she said. “Clearly a stable Middle East will build America safer.”

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Original post by Ted Belman